OA2 Artist

Matt Jorgensen

Matt Jorgensen plays with driving time and musical authority. He's a solid accompanist, but is never afraid to hit the drums ...Jazz Truth

Matt Jorgensen ranks high among the new breed of young musicians who will shepherd jazz into this next millennium. Drummer and percussionist, bandleader and composer, concert tour director and road manager, Matthew is the epitome of a modern jazzman, with a keenly personal musical voice, plus the wherewithal to help the music reach its potential audience.

Matthew Jorgensen's work, both as a leader and sideman, reflects a deep immersion in the jazz tradition. He is known for the freshness of his playing, his ability to say something new and appropriate to each musical occasion, favoring directness and passionate sincerity over mere bombast. His own groups, the intensely driving, rock-tinged unit, 451, and the hard-bop RadioAction, look simultaneously forward and back, with honest, daring jazz which updates the modern classics by finding its own path through demanding and new terrain.